Goat Cheese Topped Pumpkin and Pear Bisque

Ingredients

• 1 (2 pound) pie pumpkin, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 3 pears - peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 slices bacon, diced
• ½ onion, diced
• ½ bulb fennel, diced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 4 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup crumbled goat cheese

Step 1

Lightly heat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the pumpkin chunks on one side of a rimmed baking sheet and the sliced pears on the other. Drizzle everything with olive oil and give it a good stir to make sure they’re all coated. Roast them in the oven for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the pumpkin is tender when poked with a fork.

Step 2

While the veggies are roasting, cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Once the bacon is starting to crisp, add the onion and fennel and cook until the onion becomes soft and translucent, around 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and garlic, then season with cinnamon, salt, and pepper to taste. Add the roasted pumpkin and pears to the pot and let them cook together for a few minutes.

Step 3

Pour in enough chicken broth to just cover the vegetables. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s silky smooth. Serve it up warm, topped with some crumbled goat cheese for a nice tangy finish.